Button-hole cutter



(No Model.) D. H; CUNNINGHAM.

' BUTTON HOLE CUTTER.

vN0. 379,007. Patented Mar. 6, 1888.

,5. Q a Fig. 5.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

4 flarzd H Culling/201 N. PETERS, Phum-Lilhographm. Washinghn. n. c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @rrron.

DAVID H. CUNNINGHAM, OF ELIZABETH, NEl/V JERSEY BUTTON HOLE CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,007, dated March 6', 1888.

Application filed May 11, 1887. Serial No. 237,897. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID HENRY CUN- NINGHAM, a citizen of the American Republic, and a resident of Elizabeth, in the county of Union, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Hole Gutters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification thereof.

My invention relates to a novel device adapted for cutting button-holes in fabrics of various kinds. Said device will be fully described hereinafter.

The first part of my invention consists of-a spring-metal strip provided with guides at one end adapted to engage with a corresponding shape made on the body of a base-plate.

I a vertically-projecting lug or standard, which may be integral or otherwise connected with the base-plate, hereinbefore referred to. Said lug or standard forms a bearing for one end of a horizontallyarranged screw, the other end of which plays in a perforation made in the vertical portion of the springmetal strip. Upon the horizontal screw is mounted a screwnut adapted to regulate the distance which the spring-metal strip (which I will call the rotary-knife carriage) may be required to travel.

The third part of my invention consists of a retracting-spring having one end connected with the lug orstandard of the base-plate, the other end connected with the foremost end of the rotary-cutter carriage. I may use two or more springs arranged on each side of "the ro tary cutter in lieu of a single spring.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the device complete. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section taken on line a: 61?,ll1 which is shown the manner of mounting the end of the rotary-cutter carriage upon the base-plate. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section taken on line y y, looking in the direction indicated bythe arrow. This view shows the cloth or fabric guide and the marker connected therewith.

Similar letters refer to similar parts th roughout all the drawings, in which a represents the spring-metal strip forming the main body of the rotary-cutter carriage. The end of the strip a is provided with the guides b, adapted to engage with the baseplate c. The forward portion of the said strip a is provided with the bearings d, adapted to receive the arbor e, carrying the rotary cutter f. The base-plate c is provided with the lug or standard the upper portion of which carries one end of the horizontal screw h, while the other end plays in a perforation made' in the .vertical portion i of the said strip a. Upon this screw 71 is mounted a corresponding threaded nut, 70, which may be moved to and fro when regulating the travel of the rotary cutter carriage. To the upper part of the lug g is fastened one end of the retracting-spring g. The other end is connected with the rotary-cutter carriage. The baseplate c is also mounted with a sliding frame, Z, provided with a cloth or fabric guide, at, and adjustable marker or. The base-plate is still further provided with a downwardly-projecting lug or flange, 0, the object of which is to butt against the edge of atable when operating the device. In lieu of this flange or lug 0, I may use'a screw clamp or grip, which is,however, unnecessary to illustrate.

M'oclus operandi: The fabric is laid upon the base-plate c, and, resting against the guide m, the operator presses down upon the knob 1), whereby the edge of the cutter f is forced down upon the fabric. The carriage is then pushed forward, cutting the hole desired in the fabric. The pressure and resistance are then removed from the carriage and spring g, the former of which is carried back to its normal position by said retracting-spring g. The screw h is of course mounted with a detent or stop,which prevents the spring-metal strip a from moving off of the base-plate. The fabricis moved laterally until the hole shall have reached the indicating-point 1' of the marker at, when the same operation is repeated until the entire number of button-holes shall have been cut.

Having thus described my invention, what IOO I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The COlllbllldblOll,Wltll a button-hole cutter herein described, of the sliding carriage having guides integral therewith adapted to engage with the base-plate c, the forward end of the said carriage carrying a rotary cutter, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a rotary buttonhole cutter herein described, of the retracting-spring 9', having one end thereof connected with the lug g of the baseplate c, the other end of said retracting-spring connected with the forward end of the sliding carriage, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I 25 have hereunto set my hand.

DAVID H. CUNNINGHAM. \Vitnesses:

BENJ. T. RHOADS, J r., J. H. OnnsLnY. 

